Ribbon-feed mechanism.



No. 637,347'. Patented Nov. 2l, |899.

fL. C. MYERS.

BIBBUN FEED MESI-UNMSM.v

mppuemon mea nu. 1v, 1899.)

(No Model.)

nu: Ndr'mls Pzzns co.. PHomLlmo.. WASHINGTON, u. t:A

LEWIS C. MYERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO THE CENTURY MACHINECOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

RIBBON-FEED VIECHANISIVI.

SECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,347, dated November21, 1899. Application filed January 17, 1899. Serial No. 702 ,404. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, LEWIS C. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residingin the cityT of New York, county of Kings, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-FeedMechanism for Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention relates, primarily, to that class of ribbon-feedmechanism wherein the ribbon is fed by the action of theintermittently-movable carriage.

The invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafterset forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a carriage andplaten and the ribbon-actuating devices; Fig. 2, a side elevationthereof looking from the rear of the machine; Fig. 3, a section on theline 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a detail View showing part of one of theribbon-bobbins and its drivingworm; Fig. 5, an under plan view of thegearwheel shown at the bottom of Fig. 4; Fig.l 6, a detail sectionalview showing a means for holding the driving devices in either of twopositions.

The carriage A, of any ordinary construction, (that shown being anordinary'springimpelled carriage,) carries the cylindrical platen B, asusual, and may be fed forward inY any way. In the organization shown aVuniversal bar C may be actuated by the end C of a key-lever or somelever or part actuated thereby. The frame or side pieces C2 of theuniversal bar may be connected to a rockshaft D, supported in suitablebearings and carrying a radially-projecting arm D', which operates apallet or ordinary escapementlatch E. This latch is suitably pivoted ate and has an extension projecting toward the radial arm D', with a pinor lug e thereon, against which the radial arm D' strikes when theuniversal bar is depressed, thereby rocking the latch upon its pivots orjournals and permitting, through the intervention of the ordinaryratchet-plate, (indicated byX in Fig. 3,) the advancement of thecarriage, as usual. Adjustable screw-stops ff' may be provided torespectively limit the movement of the latch and radial arm, and aspring f2 may be employed to normally draw down the escapement-latch. Ofcourse the movements and operation described may be accomplished in anysuitable way, and this invention is not limited to their employment.

Another feature of the construction illustrated is also one upon whichthis invention is not dependent. Thus the drawings show a machine inwhich immediately in front of the platen is a plate or a guide-block G,with three perforations, supported upon suitable standards G. Upon thepivoted rocking latch E is secured a bifurcated ribbon-guard I-I, whichextends upwardly, andthe branched ends of which then project forwardtoward the platen. The two ends are formed with slots Il', disposed inreverse directions, each at an angle of about forty-five degrees to theaxis of the platen. The ribbon is fed from one bobbin I through one slotacross to the other slot and thence to the other bobbin I. Each timethat the latch is rocked upon its journals e this ribbon-carrier isadvanced over the printing-point on the platen, and then recedes as thelatch falls back against its stop. This organization is designed for usein the class of machines illustrated in the Patent of Hess andStoughton,No. 610,400, dated September 6, 1898.

Having now described the general construction of machine which I haveelected to illustrate, I will describe my invention, which I have shownassociated with such organization.

The carriage carries a horizontal rack-bar K, which gears' with twopinions lo' le', loosely mounted upon short stud-shafts carried by thelower cross-bar of a skeleton frame M, arranged parallel with the rackand adapted to slide in bearings m in the uprights Gr', that support theguide block or plate G. These gears k 7c drive pinions k 7c, looselymounted on the ends of vertical shafts L, having their bearings in theupper and lower cross-bars of the frame M. Each shaft L between itsbearings carries or is formed with a worm L', that engages the teeth ofa wo1m-wheelL2,mounted upon the axis of the ribbon-bobbin. Each bobbinis supported upon an upright L3, with their axes reversely inclined atabout an angle of forty-five degrees to the axis of the platen.

IOO

IVhen the frame M is shifted endwise, one of the worms L is inengagement with its wormwheel L2 of one of the ribbon-bobbins, and theother worm is then out of engagement with its corresponding worm-wheel.Stops m2 on the upper cross-bar of frame M abut against the uprights Gand limit the movement of the sliding frame in either direction. On theend of each worm-shaft below the pinion lo is fixed a ring O, havingprojecting teeth 0, with which a pawl pivoted on the under face of thegear cooperates. Vhen the pinion is moved in one direction, the pawlslips over the teeth without actuating the worm. This occurs when thecarriage is being retracted to or toward its initial position; but whenthe gear is rotated in the opposite direction the pawl engages a toothof the ring O and actuates the worm. It will now be apparent that if thecarriage is fed forward step by step the pinions 7e k will be actuated,and that one whose worm is in engagement with the wormwheel of theribbon-bobbin will actnate the bobbin to wind up the ribbon, drawingitfrom one bobbin to the other. I may, in order to shift the frame M,carrying the gears and worms, and reverse the traverse of the ribbon,provide an extension therefrom, (marked M2) by which the frame may bemanually shifted to cause at will either worm to actua-te its bobbin. Imay, however, when one bobbin has been wound full, automatically throwthe worm of that bobbin out of engagement with its wheel and throw theworm of the other bobbin into engagement with its wheel. This may bedone in a variety of ways. That which I have shown is as follows: Awheel I is loosely mounted upon a stud on the frame M adjacent to eachworm and opposite the periphery of the bobbin. \Vl1en, therefore, theribbon has been wound upon the bobbin to a certain extent, theenlargement of the radius of the bobbin due to the accumulation of theribbon thereon causes the ribbon to press against the wheel I), andthereby laterally shift the frame M and the Worm so as to throw the wormof the other bobbin into engagement with its wheel and throw that of thefull bobbin out of engagement with its wheel.

g on the end of the block G is a pointer or indicator. Its use is wellunderstood.

The carriage is held in either of its positions by a bank-stop spring y,mounted on one of the standards G and working against the web-shapedblock no on the lower crossbar h' of the frame M. Any other suitablearrangement may be employed. The construction that has just beendescribed is shown in Figs. 3 and o.

l. The combination of the intermittentlymovable platen-carriage, a rackmounted thereon,two ribbon-bobbins,two pinions gearing with the rack,one for actuating each bobbin, ribbon-bobbin-actuating mechanisminterposed between each pinion and its bobbin, means whereby eitherbobbin-actuating mechanism is rendered inactive while the other isinaction and mechanism actuated by one bobbin when full-wound toautomatically throw that bobbin out of operation and the other bobbininto operat-ion.

2. The combination of the intermittentlymovable platen-carriage, of tworibbon-bobbins, actuating mechanism interposed between the carriage andthe bobbins respectively to actuate eitherbobbin and mechanism actuatedby one bobbin when full-wound to automatically throw that bobbin out ofoperation and the other bobbin into operation.

3. The combination of the intermittentlymovable platen carriage, a rackcarried thereby, two ribbon-bobbins, an actuating worm-wheel and wormfor each bobbin, a frame movable endwise parallel with the rack and inthe ends of which the worms are mounted, two pinions, one for each wormmounted upon the worm-wheel shafts and driven by theintermittently-movable rack of the carriage, and means whereby the framemay be shifted endwise to throw either worm into engagement with itswheel and the other worm out of engagement with its wheel. v

et. The combination with the intermittentlymovable platen-carriage, apivoted latch E adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-plate of thecarriage, a ribbon-carrier mounted upon the latch and havingreversely-inclined ribbon-slots and adapted to be projected toward theprinting-point of the platen when the latch is rocked in one directionand to recede therefrom as the latch rocks in the opposite direction,two ribbon-bobbins and means for operating either bobbin by the carriagein its intermittent movement.

5. The combination with the intermittentlymovable platen-carriage, tworibbon-bobbins having their axes reversely inclined to the axis of theplaten and meeting at a point in front of the platen, a rockingribbon-carrier having revcrscly-inclined slots through which the ribbonpasses from one bobbin to the other, mechanism whereby either bobbin maybe driven by the intermittent movement of the carriage and means forrocking the ribboncarrier to carry the ribbon over the printingpoint onthe platen when the impression is to be taken, substantially as setforth.

6. The combination of the intermittentlymovable platen carriage, apivoted latch adapted to cooperate with the ratchet-plate of thecarriage,a ribbon-carrier mounted upon the latch and adapted to beprojected toward the printing-point of the platen to bring the ribbonover or opposite the printing-point, a universal bar and meansinterposed between the latch and universal bar to act on the latch androck the carrier when the universal bar is actuated.

7. The combination of the intermittentlymovable spring-impelledplaten-carriage, a pivoted latch adapted to cooperate with theratchet-plate of the carriage, a ribbon-carrier IOO IIO

mounted upon the latch and adapted to be upon the latch and adapted tobe projected projected toward the printing-point of the toward theprinting-point of the platen to platen to bring the ribbon over oropposite bring the normally-Withdrawn ribbon over or the printing-point, a universal bar and means opposite the printing-point. 15 5interposed between the llatch and universal In testimony whereof I havehereunto subL bar to act on the latch and rock the carrier scribed myname. When the universal bar is actuated. f 1

8. The combination of the ntermittently- LEWIS C MYERS movable platencarriage, a pivoted latch Witnesses: ro adapted to ooperate with theratchet-plate E. S. HESS,

of the carriage and a ribbon-carrier mounted JOSEPH M. STOUGHTON.

